State-private sector-civil-society partnerships and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) : a South African response

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the regional arm of the United Nations in Africa, the United Nations EconomicCommission for Africa (ECA) is faced with the challenge of conforming to the broaderagenda of its mother body while it simultaneously strives to be seen to devise solutionsthat are unique to Africa's development needs. This means that the ECA needs to find away of striking a balance between the demands of international development trends andthe viability of such trends for Africa.The United Nations, similarly to other influential multilateral institutions like the WorldBank, has moved into the 21st century with the 'partnerships approach' to development.The central idea behind these partnerships is that of promoting active participationbetween the state, the private sector and civil society in contributing towardsdevelopment. What this means, therefore, is that development is no longer viewed as thesole responsibility of the state, but rather calls for a closer working relationship betweenthese three sectors. Given the fact that these sectors are at different levels ofdevelopment in many African countries, with some countries not even having an activecivil society, private sector or even a strong state, the ECA has to make sense of whatexactly partnerships mean for Africa.This study is based on an understanding that if the ECA wishes to have an impact on theAfrican continent, it will have to engage its Member States in order to develop a commonidea and approach to the conceptualisation and implementation of partnerships in Africa.In light of this background, this study focuses on South Africa as a Member State of theECA and one of a few countries that have a strong civil society and developed privatesector. What is also significant about South Africa is the fact that a number of significantinitiatives that involve both state and non-state actors have been evident in the periodsince the first democratic elections of 1994, thus allowing for an informed response fromrepresentatives of the different sectors. A South African response has thus been compiled from the six interviews that were conducted, two with representatives from each of thethree sectors.Following from the responses, the study makes recommendations as to how the ECA canplaya leading role in promoting partnerships in Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University